Grate



(No Model.)

2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

T. M. EDWARDS.

GRATE.

No. 567,083. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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(N0 Modeld 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' T. M. EDWARDS.

GRATE. No. 567,083. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

l /'.7 E- I n 0 7L i swoon/1 1206 NITED STATES PATENT m.

THOMAS M. EDYVARDS, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 567,083, dated September1, 1896.

Application filed January 8, 1894. Serial No. 496,111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of New London and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grates, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the followingspecification, referencebeing had to the accompanying two sheets of drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a furnace of simpleconstruction inwhich coal of various grades may be economically used andin which better heating results may be attained in limited space thanhas been possible heretofore. I further provide a form of furnace thatwill act as a smoke-consumer, thus forestalling the disagreeableresults,both in locomotive and stationary engines, now so common.

To assist in explaining my invention, I have provided the annexeddrawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view taken just inside thefront plate of a furnace-casing, showing my new grate properly locatedwithin said furnace. Fig. 2 is a detached plan view of my grate, severalof its bars being broken away to expose certain mechanism provided forshaking the same; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the several partsillustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional viewthrough Fig. 1, with the grate in side elevation,showing the feedingmechanism,which is omitted in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a indicates a furnace-casing ofcylindrical or other suitable form, constructed in the usual manner, inwhich furnace is located my improved grate, which latter supports thefire and beneath which a suitable pit for ashes is provided. Theconstruction of this grate and the manner of supporting and operatingthesame form the essential features of this invention, and I willtherefore proceed to describe these several elements.

Rigidly supported inside the case a and extending longitudinally throughsaid case are several arms I), which arms I) are located on each sidethe furnace in the samehorizontal plane and serve to support on eachside of the furnace a bar 0, said bars being parallel with each otherand reaching approximately from the front to the rear ends of thefurnace. Supported on and secured to bars 0 and extending at rightangles thereto are bars d, here shown as two in number, located,respectively, at the front and rear ends of the furnace. Bars dare alsoparallel to each other, reach approximately from side to side of thefurnace, and are preferably of the form illustrated in Fig. 1, thecentral portion of the same being somewhat elevated.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the ends of bars cl are soshaped as to provide a short horizontal portion on which rests on oneside of the furnace a bar 6 and on the opposite side a bar 6. On thecentral elevated portion of bars dis located and fixedly secured asimilar bar 6 bars e, e, and 6 being par allel with each other. Bars e,e, and e serve to support the grate-bars proper of my device, indicatedby reference-letterf and preferably of the form shown in Fig. 1, fromwhich it will be seen that said grate-bars are angular in form, the apexf of the several grate-bars being centrally located throughout thelength of the furnace.

WVhen assembling a grate of my construction, the bars f are set on edgein grooves g, provided in the bars 6 6. Each grate-barf is fixedlysecured at one end to bar cor e, as the case may be, as shown, with thefree end of each bar lying in its groove in rod e or e.

It has already been stated that bar 6 is securely fastened to thecentral elevated portion of bars d. The companionbars e and 6, however,are capable of a limited reciprocating movement on the horizontalportions of the bars d, as will be hereinafter explained. Should thegrate-bars be placed in position and alternately secured to the bars 6e, as just explained, it will be readily understood by reference to Fig.2 that should motion be imparted to either of the rods 6 c said rod willcarry with it all the grate-bars secured to the same, the free end ofeach grate-bar sliding in its groove in the companion bar. To thusimpart motion to the gratebars f, I have provided certain mechanism inconnection with my grate proper which I will proceed to describe.

Located near the front and rear ends of the furnace and pivotallysecured to the under side of the bars cl are cross-heads m, provided,respectively, with arms a n and 0 o.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the various parts arein the positions shown in said figure the arms 0 o extend in a directionapproximately parallel to that of the length of the furnace, while thearms a n are approximately at right angles to its length. Theextremities of the arms 0 o of each cross-head are pivotally connectedto certain rods 19, that are the same in general shape as the bars cl.Rod p, pivoted to the arm 0 of each cross-head, is fixedly secured tobar e, the free end of said rod p sliding in bearings provided thereforin the bar 6. The companion rod 19, pivoted to the arm 0 of eachcross-head, is similarly secured to bar e, its free end likewise slidingin hearings in the bar 6. The cross-heads m are caused to rock in unisonby means of rods q, pivotally secured to and connecting the arms a and nof each cross-head. It will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 2 ofthe drawings that should the cross-head m be rocked, as shown in dottedlines in said figure, arms 0, through the connecting-rods 19, will drawtoward the center of the furnace the bar 6, and in a like manner thearms 0, through their connectingrods 19, will also draw inward bar e,said bars e 6 being thus moved toward each other. On the other hand,should the cross-heads m be rocked in the opposite direction the bars 66' will travel away from each other. Bars 6 6 will carry with them thegrate-bars f, secured thereto, each grate-bar, when in motion, moving ina direction opposite to that taken by its immediate neighbor, or, inother words, each alternate bar will move in the same direction and thusproduce a shaking or sifting motion to the entire grate, the centralportion of bars f during such time being free to slide in the groovesprovided for them in the bar 6 One of the rods q is somewhat longer thanits companion and, if desired, may be extended through the front plateof the furnace, thus allowing it to be readily grasped when it isdesired to shake the grate, or such extension may be suitably connectedand actuated by power.

Assuming that we have a grate of the described construction, it will beseen that when the same is shaken the described sliding movement of thegrate=bars will cause all ashes on the upper side of said grate to siftdown into the ash-pit beneath, and it will also be noted that theconstruction of the grate is such that such shaking motion will causeall pieces of clinker and burned fuel too large to pass between the barsto travel down the inclined sides of the grate-bars and finally dropthrough the openings between the ends of the same produced when thegrate is in motion, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This shakingmotion will also cause the fuel in the process of consumption to spreaditself on each side of the apex of the grate-bars, thereby obtaining amore even distribution of the fuel and fire than it has been possible toobtain in grates of ordinary construction, in which case the majorportion of the fire is at the center of the fire-pot instead of at thesides, thus heating a smaller. area than my improved form.

Immediately over the apex of the grate-bars and extending from front torear of the furnace is a coal-chamber s, in which a considerable supplyof coal may be maintained. As fast as the burning coal supported by thegrate-bars is consumed other coal will pass by gravity downward from thechambers, and as often as the grate-bars are vibrated said coal willgraduallybe distributed evenly upon the grate-bars.

The coal-chamber .5- is preferably formed by an inverted-U-shaped shellsand an outer shell 5 which are joined at suitable distances by bolts 25,passing through the lower portions 25 of said shells, and by shorterbolts 25, which are of such a length that an air-space u is formedbetween the aforesaid shells. The said air and gas mixing chamber a isat each of its ends in communication with the outer air by means of theopenings u in the casing a. (See Fig. at.) Each of said shells isperforated with holes e. As the coal in chamber 3 becomes sufficientlyheated to generate and throw off carbon, which, being forced outwardthrough the perforations o of the inner shell, mingles with the air inthe space a and passes outward through the perforations of the outershell, and being ignited by the flames of the furnace provides a largenumber of gas-jets that aid materially in maintaining a high degree oftemperature in the furnace. By 10- eating the coal-reservoir within thefire-chamber the coal is thus raised to a high temperature before beingfed downward to the gratebars and is used with greater economy than whensimply shoveled onto a flat grate, as most commonly practiced.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a furnace, a casing, agrate having a raised center and sloping sides, said center extendinglongitudinally in the casin g thereof in combination with aninverted-U-shaped trough located above said center and composed ofperforated shells having an inclosed airspace, said air-space opening atits ends to atmosphere, substantially as described.

2. In a furnace-grate, the combination of a support having a raisedhorizontal central portion and horizontal side portions,laterallymovableb'ars mounted on the horizontal side portions thereof, means for movingsaid bars, and grate-bars, each connected at one end to one of therespective laterally-movable bars and slidingly mounted at the other endin the other bar, the central portion of each of said grate-bars beingraised and adapted to slide on the horizontal raised central portion ofthe support, substantially as set forth.

3. In a furnace-grate, the combination of a support, laterally-movablebars mounted 011 opposite sides thereof, grate-bars, each 0011- nectedat one end to one of the laterally-movable bars, two rods near each endof the grate, one rod at each end thereof being connected to each of thelaterally-movable bars at one end, cross-heads pivoted to opposite endsof the support and provided with arms connected to the several rods, andmeans for moving said cross-heads in unison, substantially as set forth.

4. In afurnace, the combination, with supports 0, of bars 01 locatedthereon, each end of which is provided with a flat portion and thecentral portion is raised and provided with a flat portion, alongitudinal bar upon each of the flat portions of the first-mentionedbars, each of which is provided with grate-bar bearings, a series ofinclined gratebars each secured at one end to one of thesecond-mentioned bars, and having its opposite end lying loosely in theopposite bar said grate-bars alternating with each other, and means forsimultaneously moving the side bars toward and away from each other,substantially as set forth.

5. In a furnace, a casing the arms 1) secured to the inner sidesthereof, the longitudinal bars 0 secured to said arms, the crossbars dsupported on said bars 0, the side bars e, and e, the longitudinal bar 6resting on a central and raised portion of the bars d, and thegrate-bars f, resting on said bars 6, 6 and 6 said parts being combinedsubstantially as described.

THOMAS M. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO M. LUTHER.

